Lost In The Australian Bush

• Jacqueline Paroissien, Grade 7, Irrawang High School
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

The dense Australian bush is the wrong place to get lost. Fortunately I survived, I used to think that I was the only female to survive twelve days in the bush, I still think that under my circumstances I survived the longest. Cuts and bruises cover my body, most from the native Australian plants, small cacti and sharp thorned roses prick into me, most of my clothing torn or completely missing, one leg completely exposed to the harsh conditions. I had no experience is the bush, this is my story.
My name is Sam, of course it's short for Samantha, my father was a cattle muster so I spent most of my childhood in a small village located just off a large city. In my teen years my parents spilt so I spent all of my time helping my father. Adulthood rolled around I moved (much to my father’s disapproval) to the neighbouring city, got a boring office job and that is where I stayed for three years. If I had such a stable life, how did I end up in the bush?
My dog Scotty, he likes the far off bush and we used to pass it on long walks, although I never knew how large the small forest really was. Scotty was fast, I knew this but what I didn't know is how capable of extra speed that he was. I was walking him that fateful day, we passed the bush and Scotty ran in, tugging against his lead, I tried pulling back but it was no use, I followed him into the thick rows of trees. I continued to follow him deeper and deeper into the bush frantically calling his name. The air thickening, breathing becomes a little harder for me, the light draining caused by the tall trees leaves overlapping each other. Heavy rain droplets had started to fall, slowly at first but quickening rapidly. I lost sight of Scotty after about an hour and defeated I stopped, l tried turning around but I realised that we had turned so much that I lost my sense of direction.
As day turned into night I knew I needed to survive, I jogged over to a nearby tree, checking the wood and slowly stripping it from the trunk. I bundled up some sticks and made a slight makeshift hut, the strips of bark laying over the sticks. I don't know how but sleep overcame me. Day two and the hunger and thirst had defiantly set in. l found a small plant that water droplets sat still, like tiny glass statues. I lick the plants leaves, the soothing coat of water wetting my dry throat. Next step food, a small grub stuck out of the dirt so I took my opportunity. Day eleven I have no clue how long I had been here. Although gross things like this have become a necessary. Days fade into nights and nights form back into days. Then I heard it.
The small rumble of aircraft. I dart out of my hut and wave my arms frantically, trying to get the attention of the people flying whatever was flying low and close. A small black helicopter appeared through the tree tops. I start yelling, my voice hoarse from not talking. A ladder swings off the aircraft and a little black thing climbs down, another person!
The people wrap me in tinfoil and help me climb the ladder, Scotty sits in the middle of the floor and I instantly wrap my arms around him, sobbing quietly. I had done it. I had survived getting lost in the Australian bush.